Shamrock Shindig In Missouri

Chuck Zimmerman March 7, 2006

It’s not St. Patty’s day yet but green soy beer was flowing in Jefferson City this evening at the second annual Shamrock Shindig. This is our Missouri Director of Agriculture’s showcase reception for our legislators. It’s a great party.

In the picture you can see Director of Ag, Fred Ferrell (right), welcoming guests. I avoided the name tags since they didn’t have one made for me. They were ear tags and they had pre-loaded the guests names into a computer. Then when you walked through the entrance the tag was read and you showed up on a computer screen. It was to demonstrate the animal id system that the Department is supporting. I thought it was a little scary that the Department is tracking people!

I interviewed Director Ferrell, although I had to edit out his greetings since he would stop and individually greet each person that came in. You can hear my interview with Fred here: Fred Ferrell Interview (1 min. MP3)

By the way, Missouri’s commodity groups all cook up and serve food. It’s judged and the overall winner this year was the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association with their beef stew.

Audio

Keep Your iPressroom Updated

Chuck Zimmerman March 7, 2006

I have never used iPressroom but their news release just came in and prompted me to write about a frustration I’m having today. In their release they say “. . . reports a sharp rise in the number of inquiries for “Internet Pressroom Solutions” over the last three months, outpacing the number of incoming requests for “News Wire Distribution” for the first time in the company’s history.”

Here’s how they define an internet pressroom vs. news distribution:

An internet pressroom is the section of an organization’s web site where press materials, publicity photos, corporate facts sheets, video news releases, audio news releases and other corporate communications can be accessed. News distribution refers to the electronic delivery of press releases and other corporate communications.

Okay. Not having any idea how good their internet pressroom solutions are, I do want to encourage companies to pay more attention to them. My frustration is receiving a release and not finding it on the company or organizational website. One of the reasons I’d like to find it is so that I can link to it, which I hope the company or public relations staff would want. You may be surprised how often a company sends out a timely news release and then waits days, weeks even, before posting it on their website. I just tried to find 3 different releases on 3 different websites that I’ve had for over a week and none of them showed up in the “current news releases” section of their website. Why?

Back to iPressroom’s release. Here’s an excerpt that I completely agree with:

“The web is now the first place journalists, investors and stakeholders turn for information and PR people know it. The press release actually has more value today from an archival stand point, than as a news breaking tool, as long as people can find them when they want them online,” said iPressroom founder and president Eric Schwartzman.

By the way, you can find the iPressroom release from a direct link on their homepage.

Public Relations

News Briefs

Chuck Zimmerman March 7, 2006

Here’s some things I’ve been meaning to bring to your attention:

Boehringer Ingelheim Sells Insecticide Products, Manufacturing to KMG Chemicals

BEEF CHECKOFF ENJOYMENT CAMPAIGN RETURNS TO NATIONAL MAGAZINES, RADIO

Garst Seed Company Offers 20 Additional New Corn Hybrids and Eight New Soybean Varieties Available for 2006 Planting Season

Stoller Marks 35 Years of Increasing Crop Production Through Improved Plant Health

Ag Groups, Agribusiness

American increases in peas and lentils hurt Canadian producers

Chuck Zimmerman March 7, 2006

American production of field peas and lentils has risen dramatically in response to government support under the Loan Deficiency Payment program. My colleague Kevin Hursh in Saskatoon, SA says back in 2002, the U.S. placed pulse crops under the LDP effectively guaranteeing producers a floor price. A report just released from Agriculture Canada shows the subsequent acreage and production increases.

On lentils, the seeded area in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2001 hitting 450,000 acres last year. Most of the growth has been in North Dakota and Montana. American lentil acreage could increase again this year, even though market prices are badly depressed. Saskatchewan produces far more lentils than the U.S., but it isn’t helpful to have a competitor that has returns guaranteed by a government program.

On peas, the U.S. acreage increase is even more dramatic. In 2001, the U.S. had only 227,000 acres of peas. Last year, the acreage hit 850,000 and this year could surpass 1.1 million.

According to Ag Canada, the Loan Deficiency Payment has sometimes accounted for more than a quarter of the total price received by producers for peas. Market prices for lentils and peas are very low, but when you get an extra dollar or two per bushel from the government, they’re suddenly much more attractive.

That’s how government programs in one country hurt producers in another country. Let’s say for a minute, the Canadian government would provide the same support. We don’t have to imagine very long how that would completely distort the marketplace

Siemens Says

International

Back to the Real World

Chuck Zimmerman March 7, 2006

It’s back to the real world after a great stay in California. I got home around 10pm. Had a midterm at 9 the next morning and my first article do by Noon. Ahh the life of a busy college student. I hope everyone enjoyed the coverage on the Commodity Classic. I know I really enjoyed it and got a lot out of the whole experience. A big thank you to Tami Schilling, Mica DeLong, and everyone at Monsanto for sponsoring my trip. Also, thanks to Chuck Zimmerman for allowing me to blog on AgWired. I had a great time doing it. To everyone I met during Commodity Classic, thank you. You made my experience all the better for knowing you. I hope everyone has a safe and productive spring. Goodbye!

Commodity Classic

Press Conference Headline

Chuck Zimmerman March 7, 2006

At the Commodity Classic last week BASF held a press conference to talk about Headline fungicide. One of the presenters was Rick Chamblee, Technical Services Manager. I think the primary message he had to provide for us media types to communicate to growers was the recommendations BASF makes for using the product on corn and soybeans.

You can listen to Rick’s recommendations here:

Corn Recommendation (2 min MP3)
Soybean Recommendation (1 min MP3)

Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic

New Ag Day Materials Available

Chuck Zimmerman March 6, 2006

Winter is almost over and that means we’re getting close to Ag Day. If you want to promote it on your website you can download several new banners that were created by CHS and Colle+McVoy. You can find them here.

Farming

Here’s how you can help

Chuck Zimmerman March 6, 2006

It’s been two weeks since I started posting to AgWired.Com as a Canadian journalist and broadcaster. I need to know whether the articles and comments I post have any value to you the reader or listener. When I spotted Chuck Zimmerman’s post on his looking for another poster, I let him know of my credentials and availability.

As you know, things of this nature only have value if others respond to it. That’s the reality of instant and world-wide mediums such as the Internet. It can be great and it can be cruel. Either you like it or you don’t. I live only 15 miles from the U.S. border, and having followed American agriculture almost as closely as Canadian, I felt this made a good fit for Chuck.

Often, when an American farm broadcaster interviews me on Canadian issues, with my knowledge of the American side, I have the ability to relate and compare the two.

With the Americans signing more and more Free Trade Agreements with the different countries, it’s my duty as a Canadian to determine how that will affect Canadian trade with yet another country snared by the almighty Americans.

Here’s how you can help. Post your comments at the bottom of this article, and / or send me an email at harry@siemenssays.com, and let me know what you think of my contributions to this American-based website.

I believe strongly there’s a need for us to communicate much more closely to avoid the costly border disputes of the past between two of the greatest neighbours in the world.

Siemens Says

Uncategorized

A Podcasting Story From BASF

Chuck Zimmerman March 5, 2006

What a week it was last week in Anaheim. I was only there about 3 days. It feels like it was a week. It was a lot of work but a lot got done. Here’s a ZimmCast that contains an interview I conducted in the trade show at the BASF booth. You can also hear a cut from one of the new songs on the Michael Peterson, “Down on the Farm” CD.

BASF is podcasting, something I’ve mentioned previously on AgWired. Kaye Iftner, presented me with my very own Nano at Commodity Classic. You’ll have to listen to our interview to find out why and how the company is using one of the coolest Apple products ever. Kaye says that the project is a learning experience for BASF. I think that they’re just proving that they are technology leaders!

You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: (9:52 MP3 File)

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar.

You can also now find the ZimmCast on CoolCast Radio or subscribe in iTunes.

Agribusiness, Audio, Commodity Classic, Podcasts, ZimmCast

Hard At Work Ag Journalists of Tomorrow

Chuck Zimmerman March 5, 2006

Here’s two of the hardest working ag journalists at Commodity Classic. What do you think of student bloggers Margy and Mary? Really. I’d love your feedback. These young women posted even more than I asked for. For all I know they may still have more to say. They still have a login.

I want to thank Margy Fischer, University of Missouri and Mary Irelan, University of Illinois for all their help. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to work with these future professional ag journalists. Thanks also to Mica DeLong and Tami Craig Schilling, Monsanto, for their sponsorship. I hope we get to do this again.

AgWired coverage of Commodity Classic is being made posssible by our good friends at New Holland.

Commodity Classic

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